Guiding system on machines for producing filter tip cigarettes



Feb. 24, 195 9 cfsTELzER GUIDING sYsTEiM ON MACHINES FOR PRODUCING FILTER TIP CIGARETTES 'File'd March 23, 1955- flitornys INVENTOR.

United States Patent GUIDING SYSTEM ON MACHINES FOR PRO- DUCIN G FILTER TIP CIGARETTES Carl Stelzer, Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany, assignor to Kurt Korber & Co. K.-G., Hamburg-Bergedorf, Germany I The present invention relates to filter tip cigarette making machines, and more especially to filter tip cigarettes which are produced by inserting a double length filter mouthpiece between a pair of axially alined cigarettes and then wrapping the filter mouthpiece and cigarettes so thatthey may be severed intermediate their ends and thus form a pair of identical filter tip cigarettes of uniform length.

The primary object is to provide a cigarette making machine carrier for transferring the mouthpieces to a position between a pair of axially spaced cigarettes so that they may be conveyed to a wrapping roller and cutting assembly. One object is to provide a cigarette ma chine having a drum for feeding a plurality of mouthpieces in timed relation so that they will be deposited between axially spaced cigarettes on another drum with yielding means for engaging the mouthpieces and holding the same in place during their travel about the circuitous pathway in the feeding step.

Another object is to provide a mechanism forproducing cigarettes of thefilter mouthpiece type in which the double length mouthpieces are fed to the periphery of a drum having a series of circumferentially spaced mouthpiece receiving recesses therein and then transferred from said drum to notches in the periphery of a cooperating drum carrying cigarette bodies in said notches to be assembled'with said mouthpieces. Another object is to provide a cigarette making machine feed mechanism in which the assembled cigarettes and mouthpieces are transferred from an assembly roller to another drum having wrapping means associated therewith through the medium of a switch guide arrangement including inter-related guide plates disposed about the periphery of the assembly drum and wrapping drum with their ends disposed in overlapping relation and spaced a distance to permit the passageof an assembled set of cigarettes with a mouthpiece disposed therebetween.

Other objects and advantages of the invention'will be come apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view partly in section showing the manner in which the cigarette mouthpieces are fed to a handling drum for conveying the same to an assembly drum where they are deposited between longitudinally spaced axially alined cigarettes in timed relation.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown a preferred embodiment, and more in detail, the reference character 5 will generally be employed to designate a rotary drum upon which double length mouthpieces are deposited for being conveyed to a rotary drum 6 to which is fed axially alined spaced cigarette bodies so that the filters will be deposited between the spaced ends of the alined cigarette bodies and together therewith transferred to a roller, generally designated 7 associated with suitable Wrapper supplying and feeding mechanisms (not shown). After the cigarette bodies are joined with the mouth-pieces the assembly is 2,874,701 Patented Feb. 2 4, 1959 severed intermediate its ends to form two cigarettes each having a mouthpiece at one end.

The drum 5 comprises a roller 16 mounted on a shaft 17 which may be driven from a suitable powersource (not shown) such as an electric motor or the like. Formed in the periphery of the drum 16 is a series of circumferentially spaced recesses 18 which extend parallel with the axis or shaft 17. The recesses or notches 18 are separated by ribs 20 and are of a depth substantially equal to the diameter of the mouthpiece filters F and of such a width as to permit the insertion of a double length filter tip in each of said recesses from a source of supply While the drum is rotating.

In order to maintain the filter mouthpieces F in contact withthe periphery of the drum 5 during their circuitous travel through approximately 180 travel, a crescentshaped plate 22 is afiixed to the machine frame by being bolted'thereto as indicated at 23. If desired, rods of suitable length may be provided to support'the plate 22. Aflixed to the inner peripheral surface 24 of the crescent plate 22 is a series of flat leaf springs 25 which are arranged in spaced apart relation and have their freeends extending tangentially to and in the direction of rotation of the drum 5. Thus, the fiat leaf springs 25 hold the filter tips against the rear wall of the recesses 18 during the rotation of the drum 5 so that they will be fed in succession continuously to the assembly drum 6.

The assembly drum 6 includes a roller 2'7 mounted on a shaft 28 which may be connected to the shaft 17 by suitable gearing (not shown) such that the drum 27 will rotate in timed relation with the drum 5 for properly feeding cigarette bodies for assembly. The cigarette bodies are fed in spaced apart relation to the peripheral surface 29 of the drum 27 where they are received in grooves or notches 30 which extend longitudinally with and parallel to the axis of the shaft 28. The grooves'3'0 are circumferentially and equidistantly spaced a distance corresponding to the angular distance between the ribs 20 on the roller 5 and the intermediate portion of the drum 6 is provided with an annular groove 31 to-permit the projections 20 to be received therein. The grooves 30 are of a length adapted to receive a pair of cigarette bodies each of which is of substantially uniform conventional length, and the cigarette bodies are fed by means of a double hopper feed arrangement including a pair' of spaced chutes 35 arranged side by side in spaced relation only one of said chutes being visible in the drawing. A hopper 36 is adapted to supply both chutes 35 for feeding a plurality of said cigarette bodies 38-to the grooves 30. The lower wall of each-of thechutes 35- terminates a slight distance from the periphery of the drum 6v while the upper wall terminates a greater distance from the periphery of the drum to permit the cigarette bodies 38 to be fed to the grooves 30 and moved past the edge of said upper wall.

As the cigarette bodies 38 are fed to a point near the bite of the rollers 16 and 27, they become positioned such as to receive therebetween a mouthpiece filter F of double length and of the correct dimensions such that the assembled mouthpiece and cigarette bodies may be connected by a wrapper to form a unit comprising two joined filter tip cigarettes which can be severed by cutting the double length filter tip in two at the middle thereof.

In order to transfer the assembled cigarettes and mouthpieces to the wrapping roller 7 where they are supplied with a wrapper, the cigarettes and mouthpieces in their assembled relation travel through an angular distance of approximately on the periphery of the drum 6 and are held in place against displacement by means of an arcuate plate 40 which engages the assembled cigarettes and mouthpieces during their 90 angular travel. The

arcnat plate is provided with two or more sets of spaced lugs 41 and 42 having openings 43 for receiving fastening elements (not shown) which are adapted to anchor the :plate 40 to apart of the machine frame.

The combined cigarettes and mouthpieces are then transferred to a roller 7 associated with suitable wrapper supplying and affixing mechanism as is well known-in the-art. The drum 7 includes a roller 45 mounted on a shaft 46 adapted to be connected in driven relationship with the roller 27 to rotate in unison therewith. Formed on the peripheral surface of the drum 7 is a series of circumferentially spaced grooves '48 which are adapted to receive the assembled double rnouthpieces and cigarettes so that they may be wrapped and finally severed. Thegrooves 48 are thus disposed in opposed relation to the grooves 30 at the bite between the rollers 27 and 45.

In order to maintain the assembled cigarettes and mouthpieces in engagement with the roller 7 and in the grooves 48, an arcuate plate 50 is presented to the peripjheral surface of the drum 7 and has a portion 51 of reduced width adapted'to project into the annular groove 31 of the roller 27 and be disposed in overlapping relation with a similarprojecting end 52 of the arcuate plate .40 which extends into an annular groove 54 in the roller 7.

The arcuate plate 50 is provided with one or more pairs of-ears 55 having openings 56 for receiving fastening elements or supporting rods on the machine frame (not. shown).

In operation, it will thus be seen thatthe double length mouthpieces formed of filter material are fed to the troughs '18 in the drum 16 which are transferred in timed relation to the drum 27 so that they will be deposited between the spaced ends of a pair of ax-ially alined cigarette cartridges. As the mouthpieces and cigarettestravel through a portion of the-roller circumference 27 they-are held in place -by the arcuate plate 40 and transferred to the drum 7 by the arcuate plate :50 which is arranged so that its reduced end 51 is in overlapping relation and spaced from the reduced end 52 of the arcuate plate 40. The assembled mouthpieces and cigarettes are transferred to the drum 7 where they travel through an angular distance of approximately and have affixed thereto a wrapper coated with adhesive so that it will unite the double length mouthpiece to a pair of cigarettes in their assembled relation.

Finally the double filter mouthpiece is severed intermediate the ends so as to form a pair of cigarettes of uniform dimensions with a filter mouthpiece on one end thereof.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment and that various changes in 'the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without de- In a machine for manufacturing filter tip cigarettes, a mechanism for continuously assembling and arranging cigarette bodies and double length filter tips in units each comprising a pair of aligned cigarette bodies with a double length filter 'tip'di'spos'ed therebetween, comprising a first rotary drum having on the peripheral surface thereof a series of equally spaced cireur'n'ferentially arranged -recesses defining forward and rear wall portions for receiving therebetween a double length filter tip in each of said 7 recesses, said 'rec'e'sses being of a size greater than the diameter of a filter tip to permit rolling movement'of said filter tips in said recesses, a stationary arcuate plate supported adjacent said drum and extending therearound through an are equal to approximately and spaced from the periphery of said drum a distance slightly'gr eater than the diameter at said filter tip, said arcuate plate being supported on the side of said drum, a plurality of a'rc'ua'tely curved yielding spring arms having one of their ends "secured to said arc'uate plate each having an opposite free end'extendi'ng between said arcuate plate and said drum inoverlapping relation with an adjacent spring arm, said spring arms having free end portions directed toward the drum in the direction of rotation thereof to s'lidablyand frictionally engage filter tips and retain the same in engagement with the rear wall portions of said recesses during rotation of the drum, and a second drum mounted beneath said first drum in closely spaced relation for rotation in a'direction opposite to the direction of r'otat'ion of said first drum and about an axis parallel therewith, said-second drum being provided with a series of equally spaced circumferentially arranged-notches adapted to receive pairs of cigarette bodies arranged in axially spaced relation, said first and second drum being relatively positioned to successively transfer filter tips from the recesses 'of said first drum between the axially spaced cigarettes carried'by the second drum.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

